The Tru Communal House

The Tru Communal House was ranked by the Ministry of Culture and Information as an architectural and artistic relic under Decision No. 65VH/QD dated January 16, 1995, issued by the Ministry of Culture and Information, now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Dai Bai Hall of The Tru Communal House consists of three bays and two side wings, 14.8m long and 8.50m wide, structured by four rows of wooden columns with a roof truss in the gia chien, chong ruong, con nhi style. The column system is fairly tall. The main columns are 4.01m high and the subordinate columns are 2.90m high. The beam ends are carved with dragon heads holding pearls in their mouths, and the brackets and rafters are carved with many floral motifs. The current Dai Bai Hall was built during the Nguyen dynasty, but some traces of the Le dynasty remain, such as a dragon motif with a thick, strong tail in the 18th-century dragon style.

The rear shrine is narrower than the Dai Bai Hall and lies parallel to it: 6.20m long and 4.20m wide. In front are two pillars supporting the upturned eaves; in the middle is an altar niche, and at the top is a memorial tablet on a dragon throne. On the tablets are Chinese characters recording the honorific title of the village tutelary deity: Duong canh Thanh hoang Thuy Hai cong chua te hoa ngu tinh, linh thong ung quoc, bao huu an dan, meaning The local tutelary deity is Princess Thuy Hai, who once eliminated fire disasters and was spiritually responsive in helping the country and pacifying the people.

The Dai Bai Hall and rear shrine of The Tru Communal House are not of the common chuoi vo attached type but are two separate architectural structures. A large courtyard connects the Dai Bai Hall and the rear shrine. It is unclear when this rear shrine was built, but it certainly predates or is contemporary with the construction of the Dai Bai Hall around the 18th century.

The communal house worships the water deity Princess Thuy Hai, who appeared at the end of the Hung Kings era. The deity spiritually helped the people and the country eliminate drought disasters and is worshipped in many places along the Day River. Legend says the deity often manifested and secretly aided the Trung Sisters in fighting invaders.

Along with the van chi and the village pagoda, The Tru Communal House is quite spacious and forms a large, splendid architectural complex, enhancing the beauty of the village. The Tru Communal House is a historical and cultural relic and also a revolutionary historical relic; it was once a resistance base and a place where late President Ton Duc Thang and General Vo Nguyen Giap worked while directing the resistance against the French.